Metzler Home Builders Blog

Your Guide to Houzz.com

Are you in the market for a custom home or an addition/renovation project? Whether it is something you are planning for in the near future, or 5-10 years away, it’s never too early to get inspired. There are many resources available to generate ideas for your new space, but there may not be a more comprehensive source right now than Houzz.com.

What is Houzz?

Per Wikipedia, “Houzz is a web site and online community about architecture, interior design and decorating, landscape design and home improvement. The Houzz platform and mobile apps feature interior and exterior home photos, articles written by architects, interior designers and home design experts, product recommendations, and a user forum. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Palo Alto, California.”

How to use Houzz

Using Houzz is simple. You start by creating a profile, and from there, you browse and search for photos. As you find the ones that inspire you, add them to your Ideabook. The ideabook is where you can save, organize and file pictures for different rooms or areas you are planning. There are many different ways to search for photos, including by room, contractor (be sure to follow the Metzler page!) or by typing in a specific word or phrase you are looking for. Ideabooks can also be shared with others.

Houzz also provides countless articles on numerous home design topics. Reading these posts is a great way to stay on top of the latest trends and to get inspired with new ideas for your own project.

SPECIAL OFFER:

Have we completed a custom home or addition/renovation project for you in the past? Give us a positive review on Houzz.com for a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card! Just email us and let us know you wrote a review. We will put all eligible reviews in a drawing on April 1, 2015.

Project Spotlight: Combining Households, Maintaining Privacy

Like many baby boomers, John and Cathy had a decision to make about an aging parent. In their case, it was no longer safe for John’s mother, Betty, to be living alone. But unlike most in their generation, the decision they had to make was not about nursing home care. They wanted to care for Mom, at least for the time being.

Now, their decision was which house to expand to accommodate separate living quarters for them all: their home or Betty’s? After much discussion, the scenic views of horse country and the proximity to work for John and Cathy made Betty’s home the answer.

The plan was to keep the first floor as John’s mother’s quarters and add a second floor that would function as John and Cathy’s main living space. In fact, the views of horses and bison on the surrounding hills were the primary reason why John and Cathy wanted to add a second floor rather than expanding the ranch home. However, the conversion of the natural stone and brick home to a two-story home with highly personalized and detailed finishes was not going to be without its challenges.

before and after kitchen remodeling photos

First-floor renovations of the existing kitchen, dining room and living room opened the flow of the spaces and provided room for the large island – a high priority for Cathy. Since John’s mother no longer cooked for herself, a separate kitchen was not needed. With the location of the staircase to the second floor, an open foyer was incorporated which also allowed natural light to flood the previously gloomy space.

before and after exterior photos of a home remodel

The second floor was to be John and Cathy’s retreat. Having this separate private living space was a high priority for all of them, including John’s mother. The second-floor caretaker’s retreat contains an expansive great room, study with wet bar, oversized master suite and Cathy’s sewing room. Large arch top windows were incorporated into the second floor to add architectural flair, as well as a second-floor deck and screened-in porch so John and Cathy could take in the breathtaking views.

Home Maintenance Checklist: February 2015

The cold weather we’ve had this month gives you an opportunity to tackle some of those inside chores. Do them now so you can enjoy the warmer, springtime weather when it arrives (and it will come).

Organize your closets. Go through the closets, toy chests and basement and figure out what you are going to keep, what you are going to sell in your spring yard sale and what you will donate. Even if you only do a little bit at a time, you’ll immediately begin to see the rewards of your hard work with all of the space you gain.
Organize your crafting area and/or workshop. If your fun space is feeling a little out-of-control, take some time to organize it. Buy some bins, jars and/or peg-boards to help you stay organized. You’ll probably find some tools that were misplaced, too.
Clean the mud room / entry way. This time of the year, the salt, sand and dirt that your family brings into the home can really play havoc on your floors. Take some time to clear the clutter out of the mudroom and give your floors a thorough cleaning.
Clean the inside of your windows. After the cold, gray winter we’ve had, we all want to be able to enjoy as much natural light as possible.
Clear out the “junk drawer.” Every house has at least one, so take a few minutes and clear it out. You may be surprised what you find and what you kept that you no longer need.

Get other home tips here .

Home Tip: Ice Damming

Last year WGAL ran this“8 On Your Side” story about ice damming and featured our friend and 2014 BIA president, Phil Eby, of Eby Exteriors, Inc. In the online article, Phil mentioned that ice damming, in fact, is the number one problem home exteriors face during winter.

Unfortunately, homeowners typically only realize they have a problem when they see water stains on ceilings and walls.

Phil explained how ice damming occurs: “The warm air from your attic melts the snow on your roof, the water runs down to your eaves and there, the snow isn’t melted because it’s cold and it creates a backup. It gets down there and freezes, hits the gutter and creates a dam.”

The best thing homeowners can do now, when it is still extremely cold outside, is to make sure that downspouts aren’t covered with snow, ice and debris. If you suspect an issue with your gutters or downspouts, please do not attempt to handle it yourself in these slippery conditions. Call an expert who can diagnose and resolve any problems.

NOTE: Image courtesy of WGAL.

Customize Your Interior: Kitchen Cabinets & Countertop Selections

Kitchen and flooring installations begin to really show the customizations of your one-of-a-kind home.

Kitchen Cabinets: There is a lot to consider when selecting cabinets: construction of the cabinet, finish or color, door style, hardware options, moldings and cabinet heights. The cabinets will also tie in with your other kitchen features, such as flooring, faucets and appliances, to name a few.

While this can seem overwhelming, we feel comfortable referring you to one of our experts and trusted suppliers to help walk you through this selection process. Janet Metzler is also available to assist in selections as needed, or you may have an interior decorator or designer that can help you making your selections. Don’t be afraid to turn to these resources, as they are the experts – they help customers pull together beautiful kitchens every day.

Countertops: Formica countertops provide the most cost-effective solution and also allow for many different color and finish options. There is no shortage of hard surface upgrade options, though, and many people immediately think of granite when considering a countertop upgrade. After all, it is readily available and is the most popular option for a hard surface countertop. Quartz is another natural stone option, and Corian, a man-made product, is another hard surface option. Wood and concrete tops are not quite as popular but are available for those who desire a unique countertop solution.

We asked Phil Clemmer, our trusted salesman from Swartz Kitchens and Baths, about the trends he is seeing in terms of cabinet and countertop selections. This is what he had to say:

“For the last few years, the cabinetry industry has been doing the same things in the kitchen. Having said that, we are now incorporating a couple of things together to create a perfect environment to work in. The two main colors being used are the Espresso and the soft white paint, with some manufacturers calling them different names, like Chiffon or Antique. We are using them together by designing the kitchen’s perimeter in soft white and the island in Espresso. Two-toned kitchens are still very much in vogue.

On the cabinetry architectural side, staggered cabinetry is being used in many upper-end kitchens because most ceiling heights in these homes are nine foot. Wall cabinetry height varies from 36” to 42” which leaves a 12” to 18” open soffit above, which creates stunning detail by creating a look that is not so typical where every cabinet is the same height.”

“A similar effect can be created by altering the depth of cabinet throughout the perimeter of the kitchen. By integrating the use of multi-colored along with varying heights and depths of cabinetry, a stunning effect can happen where the kitchen now looks much more like furniture than it does a ho-hum kitchen.”

Whole House Renovation: A Ranch Addition

After inheriting a 1970s ranch home, Greg and Janice were not only faced with the task of cleaning out the home, but they also needed to determine what should happen with the property. After much thought, they realized this home provided an excellent opportunity for them to move from their three-story row home to one-floor living in a detached home. The only thing that stood in their way was tackling a whole-house renovation – not an easy task.

For starters, there were significant drawbacks to this idea. The home’s square footage was limited, and the ’70s architecture and confined spaces were all drawbacks. Additionally, it was hard to look past the dated wallpaper, flooring and dark paneling to see the possibilities. But once they started working with us, they began to see the home’s beauty and the potential to remodel it into exactly what they were looking for.

We added an addition onto the back of the home. This gave us greater freedom in designing an expanded Craftsman-style floor plan to give them the space they desired. We also raised the ceiling height to transform this home into one that Greg and Janice can enjoy well into their retirement years.

See more photos of this project by visiting our feature projects page >>>

Home Maintenance Checklist: January 2015

January is an excellent time of the year to look at some of those items within the house that you may not think about too often. This is the focus of our January Home Maintenance Checklist.

Clean bathroom drains – This is never a fun job, but keeping your drains running free and clear of gunk and hair will prevent back-ups and also reduce the growth of mold and mildew within your pipes.
Water filters – With Lancaster County’s hard water, many homes have at least one water filter, if not more. Now is the time to replace all of those filters – on your refrigerator, under the sink or the whole house – to keep your water tasting (and feeling) clean. Also, if you use a water pitcher filter, like Brita®, now is a good time to replace that, too.
Organize the closets and other storage areas – Before you put away those holiday decorations, now is the ideal time to go through them. Purge what you won’t use by throwing out broken items and donating others. While you are at it, go through your closets and do the same with your clothes and linens. (Linens are often accepted at local animal shelters.) Make January the month that you de-clutter your home.
Compile or update your home inventory – While this isn’t the most pleasant job, it is a necessary one. You’ll want a fairly detailed list of your belongings in case of a fire, theft or natural disaster. Use the video mode on your phone to document the rooms and outside of your home, and then the camera mode to take pictures of individual items. Focus on one room at a time, and you’ll get it done. Make sure you store your inventory in a safe deposit box, fireproof safe or on the “cloud” so you have it, if you need it. Make this an annual event.
Monitor snow and ice to prevent furnace shutdowns – If you heat your home with a natural gas furnace, you probably have two pipes that lead to the outside of your house. One is an “intake” pipe that brings fresh air into your furnace, which is needed for combustion. The other is an “outtake pipe” that pushes warmer air outside. When the warm, moist air hits the cold air outside, it can freeze, and over time it could clog up your pipe – causing your furnace to shut down. Monitor the pipes and knock the ice chunks off regularly. This will allow air to flow in and out of your furnace, and is an easy fix to avoid a major catastrophe.

Get other home tips on our blog.

Spotlight Community: The Villas at Featherton

We proudly present The Villas at Featherton, an all-new community of duplex homes by Metzler Home Builders. Situated in Mount Joy Township and Elizabethtown School District, Featherton is convenient to four major areas for business and recreation in Central Pennsylvania: Harrisburg, York, Hershey and Lancaster.

Designed with the discriminating buyer in mind, unique semi-detached one- or two-story floor plans will be offered starting at 1,400 square feet. They will include premium features like fireplaces, open kitchen areas, patios and oversized garages. The exteriors will boast classic craftsman construction with decorative gable brackets, drystack style stone veneer, tasteful garage and front doors, and both shake and board-and-batten style siding. Construction is scheduled to start in November on the first two duplexes.

If you’d like to learn more about our newest community, contact Dean Wimer at Lusk & Associates – Sotheby’s International Realty, (717) 291-9101.

Simple Ways to Redecorate Your Home in a Day or Less

It is January, and the start of a new year often sparks an interest to update your home. Sometimes this means discussing a remodeling project with your local contractor or getting started on the design of a new backyard landscaping project. But sometimes a much smaller project can “do the trick” to make your home feel new again.

If you struggle to find easy ways to decorate your house, don’t get overwhelmed. Sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest difference to the look of your home – inside and out. It is always smart to begin with one room, completing that and then moving on to the next.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

Before Decorating

It may not sound like much fun, but the first thing you should do before decorating any room is to clean it up. Wash all windows, carpets, floors and walls, and get rid of the clutter by removing any items you no longer want. You can stick them in a corner of your garage to sell at the next community yard sale or to list them on Craigslist; you can donate them; or if they are broken or too worn, you can trash them.

From there, you have a clean palette in which to work. Make a blueprint of the room from grid paper (there are also useful room design programs online), so you know exactly how much space you have to work in. Besides measuring the dimensions of the room, also mark windows, outlets and other items that need to be considered when decorating.

Walls

Think beyond traditional paint, and consider wallpaper. Wallpaper is a great way to change the vibe of a room. There are thousands of wallpapers to choose from. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and think differently about how to utilize wallpaper in a modern way. For instance, you could wallpaper only one wall, or create an interesting chair rail.

If you do want to paint, there are many options. Faux painting is a popular technique that really adds dimension to a room and makes it more unique. You can also add a mural, or use “chalkboard” paint to create a fun and functional surface.

Rearranging

Another simple way to redecorate is to rearrange your furniture. It will make a big impact on how the room will look and function. Again, it doesn’t have to be a full-day affair. You could easily make your living room look completely different by changing the location of one or more items:

Couches
Bookshelves
Stands
Lamps
Centerpieces
Tables

Throw in a few inexpensive accessories — throw pillows, glassware, lamp shades — in a new accent color, and you’ll create a whole new space with very little financial investment.

Painting Furniture

If you have a table, bookshelf, stands or lamps that you don’t mind painting, you could also try repainting them for a bolder or more modern look. Depending on the color you choose, your “new” furniture could change the atmosphere of the room completely. Also consider painting the door, ceiling and trim on the inside of your room.

Artwork

Displaying unique sculptures or hanging paintings and artwork is a great way to redecorate, too. The art doesn’t have to be expensive, either. You can find nice pieces at flea markets and consignment shops. If you are artistic, you can even make some unique pieces yourself.

Rearrange or refresh – it is up to you. But remember, sometimes the smallest change can make a big difference in how you enjoy your space.

Introducing the Villas at Featherton